BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE: A NEW SEMINARY/MISSION CENTER BEGINS

The Saints Peter and Paul Formation Center in Huehuetenango will house the future seminary and mission center. Excitement is growing in Guatemala and Chiapas, Mexico, as the Orthodox Church carries out the vision of Archbishop Athenagoras of Mexico to take the Gospel message into all of … [Read more...]

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A GUATEMALAN PRIEST

     What’s it like to be an itinerant priest in Guatemalan, visiting your many parishes on a bi-monthly basis? With so much to do and so little time for hearing confessions, performing weddings and baptisms and celebrating the Divine Liturgy, there is both a sense of “great joy and great sorrow,” … [Read more...]

MIRACLE IN THE JUNGLE: A FAITH REBORN, A VISION FULFILLED

On May 28, 2012, Fr. Andres Giron and I made an historic visit to the humble village of Los Angeles in the region of Ixcan. It would be the first time that Fr. Andres would meet with them on their spiritual journey to the Orthodox Church. To celebrate this special occasion, some of the village men … [Read more...]

FINDING PARADISE IN THE MISSION FIELD

What is the happiness that God calls us to?  Can we find paradise on earth?  Serving now as I do in the fertile mission field of Guatemala, I often experience privileged moments of spiritual joy in the humblest of settings.  My first such mission epiphany occurred in Tanzania upon my arrival some … [Read more...]

PALM SUNDAY COMES ALIVE IN AGUACATE

  Palm Sunday was a new and very moving experience for me among the Mayan faithful. Of course, the church was packed as usual, but they raise the celebration to a new level with their love of processions and the enormous sizes of the palm crosses, which they wave joyously to the … [Read more...]

AN URGENT RESPONSIBILITY: SHARING THE GRACE OF HEALING WITH OTHERS

Addressing the special gift of physicians to alleviate pain and save lives, St. John Chrysostom would say that "they have an urgent responsibility to share their talents." St. Basil, likewise acknowledging the gift, taught that "God's grace is as evident in the healing power of medicine and its … [Read more...]

THE NEW FACE OF MAYAN CHRISTIANITY

Christianity among the Mayan Indians is undergoing a dramatic change in places like Guatemala and Southern Mexico. This shifting of religious identity is part of a larger trend that is enveloping much of Latin America. According to the Pew Research Center report, published in November of 2014, … [Read more...]

A LEGACY OF SERVICE REMEMBERED AND RENEWED

As commemorations of the one year memorial of Fr. Andres Giron continued throughout the villages, the question arises- what made the priestly ministry of this man so compelling to thousands of Mayan people? In an interview, Fr. Andres explained: "I became involved with them twenty-five years ago … [Read more...]

MEMORIA ETERNA! MAYAN ORTHODOX REMEMBER THEIR FOUNDER

"A righteous man shall be in everlasting remembrance..." according to the Psalmist David (Ps. 111:6, OSB). One year after the falling asleep of +Fr. Andres Giron (2/16/14), these words seem to ring true, especially for the many thousands of Mayan Orthodox Christians who still hold him in such high … [Read more...]

MEDICAL MISSION TO AGUACATE BEGINS

    While construction for the medical/dental clinic in the Mayan village of Aguacate was underway, a dental team headed by Dr. Willie Manteris, and including his daughter Nikki and Robert Kirschner arrived on August 10th. Their plan was to offer fluoride treatment, dental … [Read more...]